On-board Computer Project

[Hank Cohn]

Has anyone done a DIY project of retrofitting OBC functionality in a 996 ('99 in my case)?

Hank

[Tool Pants]

We made a DVD of several installs but you do not need it if your are handy with tools. Can you see the outside temp display now and do you want to do it with the button or stalk?

[Hank Cohn]

Tool Pants,

Thanks for the reply. I can not see the outside air temperature now. I think I would want to use the factory stalk. Your DVD looks interesting. Where can one purchase it? I just did a retrofit on a 993. It was not difficult but it was involved.

Thanks again,

Hank

[Tool Pants]

I looked at the 993 instructions on Robin's site and it is much more involved than a 996/Boxster.

Your 996 already has the outside air temp sensor. It also has the OBC - but it needs to be turned on with the PST2. No parts are required to get the outside temp display. Most dealers turned them on before the customer picked up their then new car - but once in a blue moon someone has a 996/Boxster and it had not been turned on.

Some dealers will turn it on for free and some will charge $50 for pushing the buttons on the PST2. Get the OBC turned on first. Then let me know if you want to do the retrofit so that you can see all the additional displays.

[Hank Cohn]

Tool Pants,

I drove the car today and I was wrong. It does display the outside air temperature. The race shop that I use has a PST2. I'll ask them to activate the OBC on Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks again,

Hank

[Tool Pants]

If you see the temp display then the OBC is already on - nothing more needs to be done except the retrofit so you can see all the other displays.

[Hank Cohn]

Tool Pants,

What is involved in completing the retrofit so that can see all the additional displays?

Thanks in advance,

Hank

[Tool Pants]

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...st=0entry6089

[Hank Cohn]

Tool Pants:

I read the post you recommended and before I say anything else, let me say that I don't mind buying your DVD as I stated in my second post. Thanks for the shopping list of parts. I am still unclear as to what to do with them but I am sure the DVD explains all of that. I am very new to the 996 world but very experienced with 993s. I did own and race a '99 GT3-Cup for a year, however. So, how much is the DVD and where does one get one?

Thanks again,

Hank

[Hank Cohn]

Tool Pants:

I created a login on the Boxa board and now know how to order the DVD and in fact did order one.

Sorry I didn't log in to the other board before posting.

Hank

[Tool Pants]

Look under the special offers section on this board. We filmed many projects and put them on 3 DVDs. Henry makes them - I just hold the tools. I think all were sold but Henry can make another. The DVD shows how to do it with the stalk or switch and the tips I have learned over the years so you do not break expensive parts.

[Hank Cohn]

So, Tool Pants and others,

It sounds and looks like you need the stalk, five wires, one of which goes to any ground, and a BMW harness connector. Once this harness is fabricated you plug one end into the stalk harness connector, one wire to ground and the remaining four get inserted into a connector that is already connected to the back of the display unit. Is that correct? What am I leaving out?

Thanks in advance,

Hank

Edited April 26, 2004 by Hank Cohn

[Hank Cohn]

I finally got my manuals today. It looks like the stalk connector pin 1 goes to ground, stalk connector pin 2 goes to plug 2 (the white one behind the instrument panel) pin 20, stalk connector pin 3 goes to plug 2 - pin 21, stalk connector pin 3 to plug 2 - pin 22, stalk connector pin 5 to plug 2 - pin 23, stalk connector pin 6 is not used. Can that really be all? The 993 requres 15 other connections to get the functionality to work.

Thanks,

Hank

[Tool Pants]

Your wiring is off.

#1 wire is ground. On your year you insert the other 4 wires into empty slots in the white connector that plugs into the back of the cluster. #2 wire goes to slot 20. #3 goes to 21. #4 goes to 22. #5 goes to 25.

The connector at the other end of the wires that plugs into the stalk has 6 slots for 6 wires but we only need 5, so slot 6 is not used.

This is the harness we show how to make plugged in to the OBC stalk.

[Hank Cohn]

Tool Pants,

Thanks. I see my mistake. It all makes perfect sense now.

Hank